A. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing devices and more particularly to artificial fishing lures designed to be towed through water.
B. Description of Related Art
A number of artificial fishing lures are commonly used in connection with a rod, reel and line system used to attempt to catch fish by enticing them to attack or attempt to eat the lure which is fitted with hooks or other apparatus for capturing the fish. Such artificial lures are frequently drawn or towed through the water by trolling or by casting and retrieving. In order to attain the proper depth when drawn through the water, common lures frequently employ a diving plane surface commonly positioned at the leading end of the lure and inclined downward with respect to the lure so the lure tends to dive downward upon being pulled through the water. The common means for providing a diving plane is to attach a flat piece of metal or plastic to the leading end of the lure angling the same forward and downward when the lure is designed to have normally top and bottom sides. Such common diving planes are generally formed of either clear plastic or a brighter metallic material in the hope that the clear plastic plane will not be a visible distraction from the resemblance the lure bears to natural food of the species of fish sought or that the bright or metallic plane will attract the attention of the desired fish. U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,014 to Francklyn and U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,761 to Renaud demonstrate the use of such diving planes in connection with fishing lures. Such conventional diving planes generally give a mechanical and unnatural appearance to the lure and distract from their resemblance to normal food of the fish sought to be lured as well as frightening the fish thereby diminishing the effectiveness of the lure in catching fish.
In addition, artificial fishing lures have been combined with at least a small portion of natural bait as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,014 to Francklyn or with an artificial means for releasing a fish attractant scent such as the sponge in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,497 to Pierce. The Francklyn device retains a natural bait by attaching the same to the back of the lure. It would be expected that when the Francklyn lure is to be moved through the water, or while casting, flung through the air, the bait can readily become detached and lost. The sponge of the Pierce lure, being placed in a traverse bore, would not be as subject to displacement and loss caused by sudden axial movement of the lure, or by the force of the water through which it is passed. However, the traverse positioning of the sponge only allows the flowing water to pass over the relatively small end surfaces of the sponge and therefore limits the efficiency of the scent dispersal function.